THE GOLDEN LOTUS
a smiling face/ In these days, people like to be flattered. Even
if you have money and set yourself up in business, you have
always to be agreeable to your customers. If you pull a long
face, nobody will bother about you. What you have to do is
to fit yourself to circumstances and make yourself as adaptable
as running water. Then you will make money. If you always
try to ride the high horse, others will get good food but you
will starve. You have served his Lordship for a long time but
you don't understand him yet. Tell Cassia to come to-morrow.
If she is hot upon your heels, she will kill two birds with one
stone. It is the Third Lady's birthday. She can come to
congratulate her and apologise to him at the same time. Then
everything will be well.'*

"Uncle/' Li Ming said, "you are right. I will go home at
once and tell^my aunt."

Lai An came in to set the table. "Uncle Ying," he said, "if
you will wait a few moments, Father will be here."

Soon Hsi-men came in, properly dressed. They sat down.

"I haven't seen old Sun and Pock-marked Chu for a long
time," Hsi-m£n said.

"I told them to come," Po-chiieh said, "but they declared
you were offended with them. I told them that, thanks to
your generosity, when the mosquitos and grasshoppers were
brought before the court, they were allowed to escape. They
swore to me they would never have anything to do with young
master Wang again. I hear you were at Wang's place yester-
day. I hadn't known of it before."

"Yes," Hsi-men said. "There was a little party and I was
invited. I was asked if I would take the young man under my
protection and treat him as a son. I didn't get back until the
second night-watch. Why shouldn't they go there any more?"
They can go if they like. It won't worry me. Why should I
bother about the young man? I'm not really his father."

"If you mean what you say, Brother," Po-chlieh said, "I

am sure they will come to apologise and explain the whole

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business,

"There is nothing for them to apologise about," Hsi-m&n
said, "Tell them to come, that's all."

Tai An brought the food. There were all sorts of delieious
things. Hsi-men Ch'ing had porridge, and Po^chtieh, rice.